Railway-switch-operating device.



RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 26, 1907.

Patented 0013.20, 1908.

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GEORGE M. SPALDING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. SPALDING, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switch- Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a railway switch operating device, and consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of railway track, and a longitudinal section taken through a portion of a switch operating device; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and also showing in section the front platform of a car; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings :1 and 2 designate sections of track rails, 3 designates a switch rail, and 4 a switch point. Located below the switch point 4 is a housing or box 5, provided with a removable cover 6; and pivotally disposed in said box are disks 7 and 8, the said disks being pivotally mounted on standards 9. Pivotally secured to the switch point 4 is an operating bar 10, which is pivotally secured to the disks 7 and 8 by means of pins 11. The operating bar 10 is adapted to operate the switch point 4. Communicating with the box 5 are tubes 12 and 13; said tubes 12 and 13 are also in communication with a box 14.

Located transversely in the boX 14 is a rod 15. J ournaled on said rod 15 are the levers 16 and 17. One arm of the lever 16 is pivoted to the operating bar 18; and one arm of the lever 17 is pivoted to an operating bar 19. Said operating bars 18 and 19 are also.

pivotally secured to the disks 7 and 8.

In Fig. 1 the switch point 4 is shown closed.

2O designates the front platform of the car, and arranged therein are series of openings 21.

22 designates a removable pin which is adapted to be carried by the car for operating Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Serial No. 390,264.

the lovers 16 and 17. Said pin 22 is provided with a yielding pivoted lower end 23, being rigid enough to operate the arms of the levers 16 and 17, but sufiiciently weak in resistance to pass over any obstruction on the track.

The pin 22 may be located in the front platform either to open or close the switch.

The arms 16 and 17 above referred to are adapted to work in slots 24 and 25 formed in the top 26 of the box 14.

If it is desired to operate the lever 16 located in the slot 24 to close the switch point 4, the pin 22 is positioned in the front platform so that as the car moves over said lever, the lower end 23 of the pin will strike the top end of the lever 16.

If it is desired to operate the lever 17 so as to open the switch point 4, the pin 22 is so positioned in the front platform as to strike the top of the lever 17 as the car passes over the same. For instance, if the car is moving toward the left in Fig. 1, the lower end of the pin 23 will strike the top of the arm of the lever 17 and push the same toward the left; and, when the said lever is forced insaid direction, the operating rods will assume the positions as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the switch point 4 will be opened.

When the lever 17 is pushed toward the left, this operation will cause the lever 16 to move toward the right. In other words, the movement of one lever in one direction will cause the other lever to move in the opposite direction.

A switch operating device of my improved construction is positive in its operation, and the operating parts may be thoroughly protected from the weather, and located in the ground beneath the rail, so as not to offer any obstruction to traflic.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is y The herein described railway switch operating device, comprising a movable switch point, a housing located beneath the switch point, a pair of independent disks arranged for rotation within the housing, a shifting bar pivotally connected to said disks and to the under side of the switch point, a housing located adjacent the track at a point in front of the switch point, in the top of which second mentioned housing is formed a pair of slots, a pair of tubes connecting the two housings, independent rods connected at their forward ends to the disks and extending through the tubes into the second mentioned housing a shaft arranged in the second mentioned housing, a pair of levers fulcrumed on said shaft, the lower ends of which levers are connected to the rear ends of the rods and the upper ends of which levers project through the slots in the top of the second housing, all in combination with an operating means carried by the car, and comprising a tube arranged in the car platform, a pin removably seated in said tube and a pivoted member carried by the lower end of said pin, and which pivoted member is adapted to strike the upper ends of the levers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE M. SPALDING.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD E. LONGAN, E. L. WVALLAcE. 

